Clarity
by Forever Written in the Stars
Summary: Max/Lauren & Max Payson, not Lauren/Payson


_Reviews and constructive criticism much appreciated!_

* * *

><p>Payson Keeler awes him.<p>

She's the girl of the moment, storming back onto the national stage after a comeback for the ages, and something about that story, a story of heartbreak and resilience, captivates him.

In the past few weeks, since the World Team roster was announced, Payson Keeler's story has been printed in just about every magazine and newspaper, every publication with a sports section. Next to one of the reprints of her story in some magazine or other is, perhaps, where she first captivates him. He reads the article, skimming it, because at this point, he knows the story just as well as anyone else, but then, when he notices her picture positioned next to the text with a caption that doesn't mean much to him is the moment in which he _falls_ for Payson Keeler. She's blonde, all shy smiles and sparkling eyes, and she's beautiful in a way that suggests she doesn't realize just how much so.

* * *

><p>And then, a week later, he's looking for another gym (<em>again<em>), because he got caught "_canoodling_" (their words, not his) with the daughter of one of the trainers (_again_).

He calls Austin Tucker, because they're friends and Tucker's a gold medalist who could probably quicken the process for him. If Tucker endorses him, the gym will be more likely to admit him, and Tucker probably knows which gym's programs match their reputations.

He ends up at the Denver exhibition with Austin, and Austin's advising him to choose between the Rock and Denver Elite. Max's gut screams at him to choose the Rock (_Payson's there_), but Austin warns him about the drama, because these days, with National Champion Kaylie Cruz missing in action and three girls on the United States world team, the Rock is kind of a hotbed for drama. Austin also warns him away from Denver Elite, because Kelly Parker and her manager are there, and that's not a place _anyone_ would want to be if it weren't for Denver Elite's sterling reputation.

He doesn't tell Austin, but Payson Keeler had made up his mind the moment Austin suggested the Rock.

* * *

><p>He heads to Boulder chasing a pretty blonde girl with warm brown eyes and hoping that he can become a part of her life. He's not sure he's ever wanted anything more.<p>

Austin's right:_ the Rock is absolute chaos_. Sasha Belov has flown the coop (interestingly enough, Austin hadn't mentioned that - not that Max would've changed his mind), and no one's quite sure where he is, and the remaining staff has either left or is too focused on the girls - _Payson_, Lauren, and Emily - to think about much else. Even Austin Tucker, former Olympic medalist and current world team member, doesn't seem to register on their radars. He also hears the bitchy blonde one, Lauren, talking about how the board, which is incidentally led by her father, is scrambling for a coach. Most coaches are already under contract, and apparently, the ones that aren't want no part of the Rock's drama.

Payson doesn't seem to blink an eye. She's all business, going through her routine work-outs without a hitch, but sometimes, , he'll see her gaze up at the glass-walled office as guilt flickers in her brown eyes, and he'll wonder why in the world Sasha Belov ran and why Payson Keeler seems to think it's her fault. He doesn't ask though; her demeanor never seems to invite conversation, and he feels like his presence never even registers. She doesn't notice the new guy at the Rock who can't take his eyes off her.

* * *

><p>It takes him awhile, but eventually, he emerges from his Payson-Keeler-induced haze and realizes that he's getting quite a few looks from the girls at the Rock, most notably, Lauren Tanner.<p>

And she's everywhere. It seems he can't escape the feisty (_if slightly bitchy)_ blonde's presence, but eventually, he stops attempting to evade her and revels in the attention.

Austin warns him off her, because apparently, she's some sort of maneater who ripped out Carter's heart and tore it to shreds, but something about her holds him captive, in a very different fashion from the way Payson's sweet, shy smiles make him forget everyone else in the room.

She's hot.

She wants him.

He's a teenage boy.

He can't be held responsible for his actions - especially if Payson's steadfastly ignoring any potential romantic developments.

* * *

><p>She kisses him one day outside his car, and he feels like he's on fire, which doesn't really surprise him because she's <em>all fire<em> and spice, nothing sweet about Lauren "Bitch-of-the-Beam" Tanner. He knows he shouldn't mess with her, because he's been told his whole life not to play with fire, but for some reason, he's here hoping he gets burned.

Besides, she's blonde, like Payson, and therefore, a most fitting distraction.

* * *

><p>Max has come to realize that Lauren is really something else entirely and that besides the <strong>"blonde-ness"<strong> (_he's pretty sure that's not a real word_), she and Payson couldn't be more different.

Where Payson's sweet and innocent, Lauren Tanner is fiery and, uh... not-so-innocent, but for some reason, he can't look away from the diminutive blonde set on having him and focus on what really matters (_namely, Payson Keeler_).

Lauren is just completely unlike anything he's ever seen, passionate to a fault and completely ready to hand herself over to him body and soul (especially body), and even though she's offering, he can't seem to get passed this niggling feeling that tells him not to buy-in, that Lauren Tanner is nothing but trouble.

He can't believe he's doing this again, toying with girls' hearts. He knows it's a dangerous game, bound to get him booted from the Rock. If he pulls this shit, the Rock won't keep him. He's not Austin Tucker. Hell, he's not even Nicky Russo. If he messes with the Rock's girls, the ones poised to take Worlds by storm, he'll be out on the curb faster than Austin's motorcycle can accelerate from zero-to-sixty, but he's a guy so when it comes to pretty girls, his decision-making gets clouded by pretty girls and coy smiles.

* * *

><p>Worlds rushes up on all of them so fast he doesn't even have time to blink. Everyone is headed to Rio, first for the women's World Championships, and then the men's.<p>

The Tanner's host a send off party, and the house, set against a picturesque mountain backdrop is beautiful and serene. So therefore, it only makes sense that the night escalates into total chaos.

He's an _effing_ mess, confused by Lauren and Payson and pretty much _everything_. It's too much for him too handle so he dumps Lauren, shrugs off Payson's declaration, and then kisses Austin to top it all off.

He's a mess.

And then, he's drunk in Lauren Tanner's house, and the house is full of people celebrating and drinking and having an all around good time, but for some reason, he's sitting alone in a darkened room with only a bottle of scotch to keep him company.

Lauren walks in wearing a pretty dress with her hair all done up just so, but tears are running down her face and smudging her make-up. She begs him to take her somewhere, anywhere, and she's so desperate to escape and he's always had a weakness for pretty girls (_that, perhaps, is his problem_) so they end up driving away from her house, away from the champagne and pretty sparkling lights. He drives (she can't, too busy with the gymnastics thing to get her license). He doesn't mention that he's more than a little drunk, and she's so upset she doesn't even notice.

He absently wonders if he was wrong about her. He's always thought of her as fire, a burning flame, bright and uncontrolled, but he's watching as she cries silently in the passenger seat. He wouldn't know she was crying if it weren't for the steady stream of tears running down her face. She doesn't make a sound, and she's so vulnerable, more vulnerable than he's_ ever_ seen Payson and he wonders if Lauren's not fire at all, wonders if she's just a heavy haze of smoke so thick it hides the fire from view as it slowly flickers and dies.

And he doesn't even notice when another car runs a stop sign and slams into him and Lauren screams as the bright lights come closer.

It's all black.

* * *

><p>He wakes up not to Payson or to Lauren or even his concerned family (<em>really, the last is just wishful thinking on his part<em>), but to a furious Sasha Belov. He wishes he hadn't woken up, that he could just let everything fade to black once more, because he doesn't think this lecture is going to be pleasant.

He gets reamed out for driving drunk, for putting another gymnast at risk, and a bunch of other things (_he's just regained consciousness and can't follow the rant all that well_), but Sasha doesn't kick him out. That shocks Max more than anything. The man is furious but allows him to retain his spot at the Rock and doesn't tell the NGO (but that may have more to do with Sasha's hatred of the NGO than anything).

* * *

><p>He gets released and heads to Rio and watches the girls suck up the floor in the prelims and wonders what the hell is wrong with them, but in the next stage they shine and he wonders what the hell happened the previous day, why they were so off their game.<p>

They win, but he doesn't really care about that. Gymnastics, for him, has always been more of a hobby. His passion has always been photography, but he's happy, deliriously happy, because Payson is elated, all bright smiles and sparkling brown eyes so he tells her he loves her and kisses her and pushes everything else away because he's finally found clarity.

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><p>EDITED: 725/2011


End file.
